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Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by umjreon88

Ok people, what do you think of having a Vegetarian Christmas meal?

Any suggestions?

I am thinking of "Honey-glazed Tofu Chicken". Does that even exists?

I've never had a full on "non-traditional Christmas", but since you're Asian and going for vegeterian, I always thought soon dobu would be a great Christmas food. Warm, hot, filling, tasty, vegetarian, healthy, and like a stew kinda.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Prior to the Reformation there were scores of days in the year where meat wasn't allowed on the table in Christian Europe and there is a plethora of vegetarian and pescaterian recipes from that era. Don't use tofu unless you're making something Asian and you don't care about getting moobs.

That place doesn't exist here in London! If only I live in the States!

That Vegan Chicken sounds delightful!

Thanks Anne for the Vegetarian Lasagne, checking out recipes now. I still have two weeks to go so I've got time.

I am Asian but I am cooking for a friend who is vegetarian and I don't wanna roast a whole chicken only to not finish it and it might seem offensive to him. So I decided on a vegetarian feast. One or two Western style dishes and an Asian one. Loads of potatoes and steamed veggies, oh yeah!

@Buzzer: What is Soon Dobu? Sounds Korean.

People, more suggestions please!

"... You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you ..." - Colours of the Wind by Vanessa Williams

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by Harke the Boeotarch

Prior to the Reformation there were scores of days in the year where meat wasn't allowed on the table in Christian Europe and there is a plethora of vegetarian and pescaterian recipes from that era. Don't use tofu unless you're making something Asian and you don't care about getting moobs.

Thank you so much my Dutch neighbour!

"... You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you ..." - Colours of the Wind by Vanessa Williams

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

That place doesn't exist here in London! If only I live in the States!

That Vegan Chicken sounds delightful!

Thanks Anne for the Vegetarian Lasagne, checking out recipes now. I still have two weeks to go so I've got time.

I am Asian but I am cooking for a friend who is vegetarian and I don't wanna roast a whole chicken only to not finish it and it might seem offensive to him. So I decided on a vegetarian feast. One or two Western style dishes and an Asian one. Loads of potatoes and steamed veggies, oh yeah!

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by MissAnne

Because we like the taste without the killing.

It seems perplexing that you enjoy the look of meat and the simulation of the taste(smell? feel?), but not the real thing. It's not for me to get really, but I do wonder about it from those that are really hardcore about the whole vegetarian/vegan thing.

"Thereís death on the horizon,and Iíll run to behold your sacrifice..."

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

There's a lot of legitimately delicious, filling vegetarian food. The fact that from what I can read most people's experiences with it here has been garden burgers, tofurkey or various disturbing meat substitutes doesn't really represent everything out there that counts as vegetarian.

I'd get a little queasy looking at an all-meat substitute meatloaf too. Which is why if I was going to do an all vegetarian dinner party or something, I'd chuck the idea of trying to fake-replicate meat dishes and just go all out with stuff like Thai dishes and other delicious stuff.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

I have been vegetarian for about 3-4 years now and Christmas is pretty damn easy. Just everything normal except the Turkey (and don't pour your animal fats all over anything). Nut roast while being a bit of a joke in UK is actually really good, its got nothing to do with faking meat just a load of things roasted together. This is the one I have got down - http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes...nut_roast.html
Seems like all the other suggestions here are that vegetarians or vegans (above recipe is not vegan, but I have made it vegan before) just should eat some other weird stuff by themselves.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

I agree with some of the folks above. While I am a omnivore I am also open to all kinds of foods and plenty of vegetarian foods are delightful. The ones that attempt a facsimile of meat are not so tasty in my ever so humble opinion....

SO just create a feast of delicious veggies...

Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Why do non vegetarians always try and decide what we are fine to eat, oh you can have that it looks different. Meat purely means "solid food" with no mention of animals. I mean most cuts of animal meat have no matching to the animals they come from, should animal eaters not have them?

Sorry to get so defensive but when you have to defend against this sort of argument every day with people you get kind of stuck in the corner...

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

My partner is a vegetarian. I make the normal Turkey or chicken all the fixings and for him tehre are soy and corn chicken like products works out great. Do not think I could handle Vegan but my partner is Lacto Ovo eats dairy products

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Yes true, but my annoyance here is that everyone seems to feel vegetarians should not be eating things like quorn. Like minced beef and chunks of chicken is the shape meat should be thus vegetarians should not eat anything of the same shape.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnger

Yes true, but my annoyance here is that everyone seems to feel vegetarians should not be eating things like quorn. Like minced beef and chunks of chicken is the shape meat should be thus vegetarians should not eat anything of the same shape.

Yes! Quron and MorningStar has really good fake meat. I was never a big meat eater anyway and some of the cruelty free meat is even better. I dont get the protesting, especially from those that arent going to eat it.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnger

Yes true, but my annoyance here is that everyone seems to feel vegetarians should not be eating things like quorn. Like minced beef and chunks of chicken is the shape meat should be thus vegetarians should not eat anything of the same shape.

I tried making tacos once out of texturised vegetable protein and I went through a billion steps of hydrating, par-cooking, soaking in broth, yadda yadda, and ended up with some very tasty convincing tacos. Then I realised that it seemed kind of pointless to go to all that trouble when I could have just tipped some fresh ground beef into a pan and be done with it. From my own experience, I decided I wanted to appreciate vegetables as vegetables and not as pretend meat. What other people make of that observation or whether they share the sense that imitating meat seems pointless, who can say? I don't want convincing imitations; I want to enjoy ingredients as themselves.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by MissAnne

Yes! Quron and MorningStar has really good fake meat. I was never a big meat eater anyway and some of the cruelty free meat is even better. I dont get the protesting, especially from those that arent going to eat it.

Peope always want to shove a salad in my face.

Well, the reason I protest is because I cook for a living. I care about the aesthetics of food, in much the same way a director might care about the aesthetics of film or a violinist might care about the aesthetics of music. When I take a vacation, it has been for the purpose of dining. When I read books, they are often about the history, science or practice of cooking. When I teach people how to cook, it is with the end goal of creating a maximum of pleasure for the customer.

People are free to eat what they want. I'm not interested in denying people the liberty to eat as they choose. And I don't think fake-meat eaters are the worst eaters. But as food is such a significant part of my life, I'm not going to withhold either praise or criticism when it's due. I am openly interested in shaping the dining habits of people. I think it's fair to advocate for better food.

So, that being said, in my opinion, Quorn and Morningstar may make fake meat, but I find the idea that there is somewhere a fake meat product which is "even better" than real meat total poppycock. I have tasted plenty, all the major varieties and brands. It does not exist. If you think it does, you have not tasted good meat.

What I don't understand about so many vegetarian cooks is their desire to create a cuisine which is hellbent on imitating the food they are eliminating from their diet. Fake chicken, tofurkey, tvp, soy curls, fake pepperoni, bad luncheon meat, on and on. The colors are bad, the aromas, the textures and the flavors. There is more virtue in a single carrot than in the entire Gardenburger empire. And there is nothing essential or natural about vegetarian cooking developing along these lines; rather, it is a choice to cook this way, and one which is quite popular.

On the other hand, there are varieties of vegetarian cuisine which are out and out ignored. How often do I talk with a vegetarian who knows anything about the greatest vegetarian cuisines conceived (those in India)? Cuisines which lavish love on veggies, which are sophisticated, interesting, playful and delicious? Almost never. What about a working knowledge of a variety of grains? A love of good vegetables? Elementary techniques? Accomplished vegetarian chefs? No. What so many know about is Soyrizo. There is an entire world of vegetarian cooking to be explored, to be developed, to be remembered and enjoyed.

But instead fake-meat consumers eat what is ultimately a subcuisine of fast food.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Yeah I kinda got at that earlier. Screw fake meat dishes. Go grab (or make) some Thai, Indian or Korean food. Most or all of the best dishes can be made without meat, or don't have meat to begin with. People who are only used to a wholly western diet will be the ones struggling with stuff like "how do I have a turkey dinner with fake turkey" or whatever. Gross. People who diss vegetarianism on how nothing vegetarian tastes good need to try them some soondobu, pad see ew or vegetable curry.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by zoltanspawn

So, that being said, in my opinion, Quorn and Morningstar may make fake meat, but I find the idea that there is somewhere a fake meat product which is "even better" than real meat total poppycock. I have tasted plenty, all the major varieties and brands. It does not exist. If you think it does, you have not tasted good meat.

Im allowed my opinion. Im also allowed to enjoy Morningstar and Quorn. Ive never been fond of meat. Never had a burger or anymore than a couple bites of someone's steak. Some of the fake meat is better and Im sticking to my opinion. Plus I really dont care about the delicious meaty possiblities that I am missing out on. I can't get as passionate about this as you.

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by JayHawk

I agree with some of the folks above. While I am a omnivore I am also open to all kinds of foods and plenty of vegetarian foods are delightful. The ones that attempt a facsimile of meat are not so tasty in my ever so humble opinion....

SO just create a feast of delicious veggies...

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY agree!!!

BOTH my partner and I have been vegetarians SINCE WE WERE BORN!!!

NEITHER of us LIKE vegetarian food that TRIES to be MEAT...

It is just SILLY to us...

And -- OF COURSE you can have a vegetarian Christmas Feast...

MANY of us do it EVERY YEAR...

OH...

And since I'm QUOTING Jayhawk -- HE MIGHT BE the BEST person to HELP you prepare it...

Re: A Vegetarian Christmas Feast...?

Originally Posted by MissAnne

Im allowed my opinion. Im also allowed to enjoy Morningstar and Quorn. Ive never been fond of meat. Never had a burger or anymore than a couple bites of someone's steak. Some of the fake meat is better and Im sticking to my opinion. Plus I really dont care about the delicious meaty possiblities that I am missing out on. I can't get as passionate about this as you.

You can be neither as passionate, nor as rational:

If you've never had a burger, nor more than a few bites of steak, then you are hardly in a position to claim that the fake meat you like "is better" than real meat.

That is a logical absurdity.

On the other hand, you ARE entitled to enjoy your Morningstar and your Quorn! No one will, or should, take those crappy things away from you.